Device adapter for busbar in a busbar system

ABSTRACT

A device adapter for pluggable connection to busbars of a busbar system with terminal connectors disposed in an oblong adapter housing and having catches for securing on a lower securing element and a section of a top hat rail for placing a device thereon. The adapter housing is divided into two halves in a longitudinal direction and parallel to an attachment direction. On their facing sides, the housing halves support securing elements distributed in the longitudinal direction over a separating plane, but offset in a step-like manner transversely thereto for securing, fixed against relative rotation, a plurality of U-shaped flat plug connectors, thereby enabling the pluggable connection. The housing halves are connected to each other and the U-shaped flat plug connectors are connected by conductors to terminal connectors housed in a contact block or directly to the device to be placed thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a device adapter for busbars of a busbarsystem. The busbars are arranged in a trough-like lower securing elementextending over their length and have a clamping leg orientedperpendicularly with respect to the securing surface of the lowersecuring element on which terminal connectors of the device adapter canbe pushed. The terminal connectors are placed into a housing, which canbe mechanically connected to the lower securing element by catches andwhich supports a section of a top hat rail for placing a device with atop hat fitting on it.

2. Description of Prior Art

A busbar system of this type is taught by German patent Publication DE38 11 456 C2 in which the devices provided with terminal connectors canbe pushed on the clamping legs of the busbars. The devices aremechanically locked to the lower securing element, so that theelectrical connections between the devices and the busbars are alsomaintained. The disadvantage of this connecting technique is thecomplicated structure of the device adapter on which devices can beplaced and connected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a device adapter of thetype described above, which can be rapidly assembled from simpleelements, which can be securely connected to the known busbar system,and which facilitates the assembly and connection of devices to beplaced on it.

This and other objects are attained by a device adapter in accordancewith one embodiment of this invention comprising an adapter housingdivided into two housing halves in the longitudinal direction of thebusbars and perpendicular with respect to the securing surface of thelower securing element. On the sides where they face each other, thehousing halves support securing elements distributed in the longitudinaldirection over the separating plane, but offset in a step-like mannertransversely to the arrangement of the busbars for the securing, fixedagainst relative rotation, of U-shaped flat plug connectors, which canbe pushed on the clamping legs of the busbars. The housing halves areconnected to each other, and the flat plug connectors are connectedthrough conductors to terminal connectors housed in a contact block ordirectly to the device placed on the bus bars.

The flat plug connectors are fixed in the correct association with thebusbars by the division of the adapter housing into two housing halves,and they can be easily inserted prior to connecting the housing halvesand are maintained, fixed against relative rotation, in the area of theseparation plane offset in a step-like manner.

The housing halves are preferably arranged in such a way that thehousing halves essentially constitute the lateral walls of the adapterhousing located transversely with respect to the busbars and areprovided with horizontal separating walls complementing each other,which are offset in a step-like manner in the longitudinal direction ofthe busbars. The holding elements for the reception, fixed againstrelative rotation, of the flat plug connectors are arranged in the areaof contact between the separating walls.

In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, the flat plugconnectors are divided by a slit into two contact legs, whose distanceis slightly less than the thickness of the clamping leg of the busbars.The slits of the flat plug connectors terminate in a round end section,through which holding elements embodied as screw receivers areconducted. The two housing halves are connected to each other throughthese screw receivers. As a result, the holding elements aresimultaneously employed for connecting the two housing halves. Portionsof the housing halves can also partially enclose the flat plugconnectors outside the contact legs and in this way contribute to theirfixing in place, secure against relative rotation.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, the conductors areriveted or welded on.

In accordance with another embodiment, the mechanical connection betweenthe device adapter and the lower securing element of the busbar systemis provided by the housing halves having wall elements which constitutethe sides of the adapter housing extending parallel to the busbars andcatch bars, which can be locked into the catches of the lower securingelement.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, the housinghalves are provided with perforated strips in the upper area of theirlateral walls oriented transversely with respect to the busbars, whoseevenly spaced perforations can be used for fastening devices or thelike. Thus, it is possible to place devices or other assemblies atvarious positions on the adapter housing.

Access to the flat plug connectors with their conductors is facilitatedin that the open top of the housing halves connected to each other canbe closed by a cover, which can be introduced as a slider. This cover isprovided with rows of bores for attaching the section of a top hat rail.In addition, the cover is used for attaching a section of a top hatrail, to which devices provided with a corresponding top hat fitting canbe clipped. This top hat rail can also be fastened on the cover invarious positions.

To change the position of the device seated on the cover, in accordancewith one embodiment of this invention, the cover is inserted between theperforated strips and a guide strip of the housing halves connected toeach other. The perforated strips, facing the guide strips, constitute arow of catch receivers for catch springs fastened on the cover, and thecover is maintained in the pushed-in end position by a securing spring.

In accordance with another embodiment, the connector terminals for theconductors coming from the flat plug connectors are housed in a contactblock, which can be connected by catches with the housing halves whichare connected to each other. Thus, the contact block can be attached tothe adapter housing only when needed, when the conductors coming fromthe flat plug connectors can be directly connected to the device.

In this case, the connection between the contact block and the adapterhousing is released in such a way that the contact block is providedwith catch springs, which face each other, which are guided on theinsides of the lateral walls of the housing halves extendingtransversely with respect to the busbars, and which catch in catchstrips in recesses of these lateral walls.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, the contactblock can be closed by a contact block cover, which is maintained on thecontact block by catch connectors, and the contact block cover canadditionally be connected by catches to the lower securing element. Inthis way, the electrical connectors are covered, secure against beingtouched. In addition, the contact block cover is also used for fixingthe device adapter in place on the lower securing element of the busbarsystem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention will be explained in more detail by means of an exemplaryembodiment represented in the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the structure of the busbar system inaccordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the elements for constructing a deviceadapter in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device adapter of this invention with thecover removed; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the device adapter of this invention with ahousing half removed on the stepped offset separation plane.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The busbar system in accordance with FIG. 1 is designed as a triple-polesystem. Three busbars 20 are housed in a trough-like lower securingelement 10. The lateral walls of the lower securing element 10 aredouble-walled, as indicated by the walls 11 and 13. In this case, acatch strip 12 oriented to the exterior and a catch strip 15 oriented tothe interior are formed on the wall 11. A catch strip 16 is formed onthe side of the wall 13 facing the wall 11, while the inwardly orientedside of the wall 13 supports a catch strip 14. Holders 17 with T-shapedreceivers 18, which are maintained by the catch strips 14 of the walls13, are received in the lower securing element 10. The busbars 20 arepushed into the receivers 18 of the holders 17 and are maintained bytheir holding legs 22 in such a way that the clamping legs 21 extendvertically in respect to the securing surface, i,e, the underside, ofthe securing element 10. At the locations not occupied by connectoradapters, feed adapters or device adapters, the busbars 20 are coveredby a cover 23, the lateral walls of which terminate in inward pointingstrips 24. These strips 24 rest on the walls 11 and 13 of the lowersecuring element 10 and support catch strips 25, which are insertedbetween the walls 11 and 12 and rest against the catch strip 16 andwhich are locked together with the catch strip 15 of the wall 11. Thecover 23 can be additionally supported by support strips 26 on theclamping legs 21 of the busbars.

The structure of a device adapter for the busbar system in accordancewith FIG. 1 will be explained by means of FIG. 2. The adapter housing isassembled from the housing halves 30 and 31. The two housing halves 30and 31 essentially form the lateral walls of the adapter housingextending transversely in respect to the busbars, as the spaced-apartslits 44 indicate. Horizontal partial walls 34 are formed on the facinginterior sides of the housing halves 30 and 31 and are offset in astep-like manner, but complement each other. Holding receivers withholding elements 35, 36 and 37, which are embodied as screw receivers,are formed in the area of these separating walls 34. U-shaped flat plugconnectors 38 are pushed on these holding elements 35, 36 and 37, which,as a result, are held, fixed against relative rotation, in the holdingreceivers. The holding receivers are associated with the slits 44 forthe busbars in such a way, that the flat plug connectors 38, which aredivided by slits into two contact legs 39 and 40, are pushed on thebusbars 20 of the busbar system in accordance with FIG. 1 when thedevice adapter is connected with it. The holding receivers are formed byportions of the partial walls 34. The slits of the flat plug connectors38 make a transition into round end sections 44, through which theholding elements 35, 36 and 37 are conducted. The two housing halves 30and 31 are connected with each other and fix the flat plug connectors 38in place by means of screws, which are inserted into the screw receivers45 of the housing half 31 and are screwed into the holding elements 35,36 and 37 embodied as screw receivers. The offset of the holdingreceivers on the partial walls 34 in the longitudinal direction of thebusbars increases the distance between the contact places and alsodepends on the dimensions of the devices to be connected with the deviceadapter.

As shown in FIG. 3, the horizontal partial walls 34 complement eachother and fix the flat plug connectors 38 in place in the assembledadapter housing.

Perforated strips 46 with a row of perforations 47 are formed by theupper area of the lateral walls of the housing halves 30 and 31, so thatdevices or other assemblies can be secured in different positionsdirectly on the housing halves 30 and 31. In addition, the housinghalves 30 and 31 support wall elements 32, which constitute the sides ofthe adapter housing extending parallel with the busbars and close themoff. These support wall elements 32 terminate in catch strips 33, whichare introduced between the walls 11 and 13 of the securing element 10and are locked together with the catch strip 15 of the wall 11, as shownin FIG. 4.

Guide strips 49 are formed underneath the perforated strips 46 of thehousing halves 30 and 31, so that a cover 50 embodied as a slider can bepushed in and the top of the adapter housing can be closed. The sides ofthe perforated strips 46 facing the guide strips 49 have a number ofcatch receivers 48 for catch springs 51 fixed on the cover 50. The cover50 can be fixed in different positions and has rows of bores 52, so thata section of a top hat rail can be fastened in different positions onthe cover 50. A top hat receiver and catch slide are clipped in a knownmanner on this top hat rail.

The conductors 43 of the flat plug connectors 38 lead to connectorterminals 64 in a contact block 54, which is divided into chambers 55.Two catch springs 56 are formed on the contact block 54, which terminatein catch strips 58. The catch springs 56 are pushed in contact with thehorizontal partial walls 34 between the lateral walls which extendtransversely in respect to the busbars, wherein catch strips 58 of thecatch springs 56 are guided in grooves 53 of the lateral walls. Thecatch strips 58 are locked in recesses of the lateral walls of theadapter housing and fix the contact block 54 in place on the adapterhousing. A catch spring 59 is suspended in the catch springs 56 which,when the cover 50 has been completely pushed in, locks behind it andfixes its final position in place.

The contact block 54 is closed by means of a contact block cover 60,which is locked together with the contact block 54, as indicated by thecatch elements 61 and 65. A catch spring 62 is formed on the contactblock cover 60, which terminates in a catch strip 63. As shown in FIG.4, this catch strip 63 is locked behind the outer catch strip 12 of thewall 11 of the securing element 10. The locked connection of the catchspring 59 can be released through the opening in the catch spring 62, sothat the cover 50 can be released from the adapter housing.

We claim:
 1. In a device adapter for pluggable connection to busbars ofa busbar system, having a plurality of terminal connectors disposed inan oblong adapter housing, and having a plurality of catches forsecuring on a lower securing element and a section of a top hat rail forplacing a device thereon, the improvement comprising:the adapter housingbeing divided into two housing halves (30, 31) in a longitudinaldirection and parallel to an attachment direction, on sides of saidhousing halves facing each other, the housing halves (30, 31) supportinga plurality of securing elements (35, 36, 37, 42) distributed in saidlongitudinal direction over a separating plane, and offset in astep-like manner transversely thereto for the securing, fixed againstrelative rotation, of a plurality of U-shaped flat plug connectors (38),which enable said pluggable connections, the housing halves (30, 31)being connected with each other, and the U-shaped flat plug connectors(38) being connected through a plurality of conductors (43) with one ofa plurality of terminal connectors (64) housed in a contact block (54)and directly with a device disposed on the busbars.
 2. A device adapterin accordance with claim 1, whereinthe housing halves (30, 31)constitute lateral walls of the oblong adapter housing and comprisecomplementary horizontal separating walls (34) which are offset in astep-like manner in the longitudinal direction, and holding elements(35, 36, 37) for reception, fixed against relative rotation, of theU-shaped flat plug connectors (38) are arranged in an area of contactbetween the complementary horizontal separating walls (34).
 3. A deviceadapter in accordance with claim 2, whereinthe U-shaped flat plugconnectors (38) are divided by a slit into two contact legs (39, 40), adistance between which is slightly less than a thickness of the clampinglegs (21) of conventional busbars, each of the slits of the U-shapedflat plug connectors (38) terminates in a round end section (41),through which holding elements (35, 36, 37) embodied as screw receiversextend, and the two housing halves (30, 31) are connected with eachother through said screw receivers.
 4. A device adapter in accordancewith claim 1, whereinthe conductors (43) are one of riveted and weldedon.
 5. A device adapter in accordance with claim 1, whereinthe housinghalves (30, 31) are provided with wall elements (32), which constitutethe narrow sides of the oblong adapter housing extending transversely inrespect to said longitudinal direction and are provided with catch bars(33).
 6. A device adapter in accordance with claim 1, whereinthe housinghalves (30, 31) comprise at least one perforated strip (46) in an upperarea of the long lateral walls having evenly spaced perforations (47).7. A device adapter in accordance with claim 1, whereinthe open top ofthe housing halves (30, 31), connected with each other, is closable by acover (50), which can be introduced as a slider, and said cover (50)forms at least one row of bores (52) for attaching a section of a tophat rail.
 8. A device adapter in accordance with claim 6, whereina cover(50) can be inserted between the perforated strips (46) and a guidestrip (49) of the housing halves (30, 31) connected with each other, theperforated strips (46), facing the guide strips (49), constitute a rowof catch receivers (48) for a plurality of catch springs (51) fastenedon the cover (50), and the cover (50) is maintained in a pushed-in endposition by a securing spring (59).
 9. A device adapter in accordancewith claim 1, whereinthe contact block (54) which can be connected by atleast one catch with the housing halves (30, 31) which are connectedwith each other.
 10. A device adapter in accordance with claim 9,whereinthe contact block (54) comprises a plurality of catch springs(56), which are guided on the insides of the facing long lateral wallsof the housing halves (30, 31), and which catch in a plurality of catchstrips (58) in recesses formed by said facing Iong lateral walls.
 11. Adevice adapter in accordance with claim 9, whereinthe contact block (54)is closable by a contact block cover (60) maintained on the contactblock (54) by at least one catch connection, and the contact block cover(60) comprises at least one additional catch for securement to the lowersecuring element (10).
 12. A device adapter in accordance with claim 3,wherein the conductors (43) are one of riveted and welded on.
 13. Adevice adapter in accordance with claim 12, wherein the housing halves(30, 31) are provided with wall elements (32), which constitute thenarrow sides of the oblong adapter housing extending transversely inrespect to said longitudinal direction and are provided with catch bars(33).
 14. A device adapter in accordance with claim 13, wherein thehousing halves (30, 31) comprise at least one perforated strip (46) inan upper area of the long lateral walls having evenly spacedperforations (47).
 15. A device adapter in accordance with claim 14,wherein the open top of the housing halves (30, 31), connected with eachother, is closable by a cover (50), which can be introduced as a slider,andsaid cover (50) forms at least one row of bores (52) for attaching asection of a top hat rail.
 16. A device adapter in accordance with claim14, wherein a cover (50) can be inserted between the perforated strips(46) and a guide strip (49) of the housing halves (30, 31) connectedwith each other,the perforated strips (46), facing the guide strips(49), constitute a row of catch receivers (48) for a plurality of catchsprings (51) fastened on the cover (50), and the cover (50) ismaintained in a pushed-in end position by a securing spring (59).
 17. Adevice adapter in accordance with claim 15, wherein the cover (50) canbe inserted between the perforated strips (46) and a guide strip (49) ofthe housing halves (30, 31) connected with each other,the perforatedstrips (46), facing the guide strips (49), constitute a row of catchreceivers (48) for a plurality of catch springs (51) fastened on thecover (50), and the cover (50) is maintained in a pushed-in end positionby a securing spring (59).
 18. A device adapter in accordance with claim17, wherein the contact block (54) can be connected by at least onecatch with the housing halves (30, 31) which are connected with eachother.
 19. A device adapter in accordance with claim 18, wherein thecontact block (54) comprises a plurality of catch springs (56), whichare guided on the insides of the facing long lateral walls of thehousing halves (30, 31) and which catch in a plurality of catch strips(58) in recesses formed by said facing long lateral walls.
 20. A deviceadapter in accordance with claim 19, wherein the contact block (54) isclosable by a contact block cover (60) maintained on the contact block(54) by at least one catch connection, andthe contact block cover (60)comprises at least one additional catch for securement to the lowersecuring element (10).